1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a package take-out apparatus for taking out individual packages piled and housed in a package container, and to the package container itself. The present invention also relates to an unwrapping apparatus for unwrapping a package wrapped with a wrapping sheet to obtain a solid object wrapped therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, there has been a widely used dry-type slide for chemical analysis (hereinafter, referred to simply as a xe2x80x9cslidexe2x80x9d). Such a slide may be used for quantitative analysis of a chemical component or a material component of a liquid sample dripped thereon. More specifically, the quantitative analysis may be carried out by dripping a drop of a liquid sample on the slide, putting the slide in an incubator for a predetermined time to promote color reaction (i.e., color matter producing reaction) of the liquid sample, irradiating the slide with radiation including a predetermined wavelength to measure optical density of a target biochemical substance contained in the liquid sample, and determining physical density of the target biochemical substance based on the measured optical density referring to a predetermined working curve correlating the optical density of the biochemical substance with the physical density thereof. The predetermined wavelength included in the radiation is determined depending on the combination of the target biochemical substance contained in the liquid sample and a reagent mixed in a material of the slide. The entire process described above is carried out by a suitably configured biochemical analyzer.
The biochemical analyzer used for the above quantitative analysis has a slide stocking portion which holds a plurality of slides ready for the analysis. Usually, when shipping the slides, each slide is wrapped tightly with a plastic film laminated with a metal lamina or a plurality of slides are packed in a single tightly-wrapped cartridge. In each case, an unwrapped slide must be used immediately or stocked in a dry atmosphere, as the reagent mixed in the material of the slide deteriorates rapidly. Therefore, it is desirable to use a plurality of individually-wrapped slides when there is a need to analyze many slides.
Usually, about ten to fifty slides wrapped individually (hereinafter, referred to as xe2x80x9cslide packsxe2x80x9d) are housed in a container before being shipped to an examiner. The examiner needs to take each slide pack out of the container immediately before using it, leaving the rest of the slide packs in the container for storage. However, preparation for the analysis will require a lot of effort if the examiner has to manually take out and unwrap each slide pack one by one.
To reduce the problem, there have been several known apparatuses for unwrapping a package wrapped with a wrapping sheet such as a wrapping film to obtain a solid object wrapped therein. One example of such apparatuses is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9(1997)-237383. The apparatus disclosed in the Publication is directed to unwrapping a belt-like package containing a series of sub-packs each containing beverage ingredients therein. The sub-packs are tightly sandwiched between an upper wrapping sheet and a lower wrapping sheet. Although the disclosed apparatus is capable of unwrapping the belt-like package by peeling the upper wrapping sheet off from the lower wrapping sheet to obtain the sub-packs therein, the examiner is still required to manually detach edges of the upper and lower wrapping sheets in advance. Thus, the disclosed apparatus is incapable of unwrapping the individually wrapped slides in a completely automated manner.
An object of the present invention is to provide a package take-out apparatus for taking out of a package container individual packages each containing a solid object, such as the slide described above wrapped with a wrapping sheet. Another object of the present invention is to provide a package container suitable for use in the above package take-out apparatus.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an unwrapping apparatus capable of automatically unwrapping the package containing the solid object wrapped with the wrapping sheet.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a package take-out apparatus for taking out individual packages, each containing a solid object tightly wrapped with a wrapping sheet, piled and housed in a package container, each of the packages including an unsealed space where the solid object is contained and a sealed portion surrounding the unsealed space, comprising: housing means for housing the package container, the package container having a cut-off portion on the top face or the bottom face thereof, wherein the width of the cut-off portion is slightly larger than the width of the solid object contained in each of the packages; sucker means for sucking the package to take the package out of the package container through the cut-off portion; sucker moving means for moving the sucker means; and controlling means for controlling operations of the sucker means and the sucker controlling means by causing the sucker moving means to move the sucker means to a position near the cut-off portion of the package container, causing the sucker means to suck the package, and moving the sucker means to take the package out of the package container through the cut-off portion.
The position of the solid object may be shifted within the unsealed space of the package. However, the above width of the cut-off portion, which is only slightly larger than the width of the solid object, prevents the package from falling out of the package container wherever the solid object is located within the unsealed space of the package. The package never falls out of the package container unless the sucker means forcedly draws the package from the package container through the cut-off portion.
The above package take-out apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention saves the examiner effort of taking each package out of the package container one by one in a manual manner, as the sucker means in the package take-out apparatus automatically takes each package 11b out of the package container. As the width of the cut-off portion of the package container is only slightly larger than the width of the solid object in the package, the sealed portion of the package interfering with the edge of the cut-off portion is folded inward when the sucker means draws the package from the package container. Concurrently, the solid object moves substantially to the center of the package within the unsealed space thereof. As the folded sealed portion of the package helps a separated unwrapping apparatus catch the package firmly and easily, the package take-out apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention also improves efficiency of an unwrapping operation carried out after the taking-out operation.
In addition, as package never fall out of the package container unless the sucker means forcedly draws the package from the package container through the cut-off portion, the examiner may easily carry and handle the package container.
It is desirable that the above package take-out apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention further comprises: selecting means for selecting one package container from a plurality of given package containers; wherein the housing means is capable of housing said plurality of package containers arranged in a predetermined manner; and wherein the controlling means further controls operations of the sucker moving means by causing the sucker moving means to move the sucker means to a position near the cut-off portion of said one package container selected by the selecting means. Using such a package take-out apparatus provided with the selecting means, the examiner may take out a plurality of packages, which contains different solid objects, in a desired order by specifying different package containers arranged on the housing means according to the desired order.
In addition, it is desirable that the controlling means in the above package take-out apparatus further controls operations of the sucker moving means by causing the sucker moving means to transfer the package taken out by the sucker means to a separated unwrapping apparatus. In this case, efficiency of the entire operation is improved as the taking-out operation and the subsequent unwrapping operation are carried out in sequence.
Further, it is desirable that the package container in the above package take-out apparatus is provided with a perforation line enabling the cut-off portion to be opened by peeling off a portion of the package container along the perforation line. Such a structure of the package container further prevents the packages therein from falling out of the package container during shipping etc.
In addition, it is desirable that the package container in the above package take-out apparatus is provided with another cut-off portion enabling observation of an inner area of the package container. This cut-off portion enables the examiner to check the rest number of the packages contained in the package container. This cut-off portion is preferably opened in the similar manner as described above by peeling off a portion of the package container along another perforation line. Again, such a structure further prevents the packages therein from falling out of the package container during shipping etc.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a package container for housing in a piled fashion a plurality of packages each containing a solid object tightly wrapped with a wrapping sheet, each of the package including an unsealed space where the solid object is contained and a sealed portion surrounding the unsealed space, comprising: a cut-off portion on the top face or the bottom face thereof; wherein the width of the cut-off portion is slightly larger than the width of the solid object contained in each of the packages.
It is desirable that the above package container according to the second aspect of the present invention further comprises a perforation line enabling the cut-off portion to be opened by peeling off a portion of the package container along the perforation line.
In addition, it is desirable that the above package container according to the second aspect of the present invention further comprises another cut-off portion enabling observation of an inner area of the package container. This cut-off portion is preferably opened in the similar manner as described above by peeling off a portion of the package container along another perforation line.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an unwrapping apparatus for unwrapping a package containing a solid object tightly wrapped with a wrapping sheet, the package including an unsealed space where the solid object is contained and a sealed portion surrounding the unsealed space, comprising: paired rollers rotatable so that the package caught between the paired rollers is transferred along a predetermined transferring path; displacing means for displacing the paired rollers so that the wrapping sheet of the package caught between the paired rollers is transferred along another path different from the predetermined transferring path; a cutter located in front of the paired rollers along the predetermined transferring path for making a slit on the unsealed space at a position near the front edge of the package; and controlling means for controlling operations of the paired rollers, the displacing means and the cutter by rotating the paired rollers in respective predetermined directions, suspending rotation of the paired rollers when the front edge of the package is caught between the paired rollers, causing the cutter to make the slit on the package, causing the displacing means to displace the paired rollers, and rotating the paired rollers in the predetermined directions so that only the wrapping sheet separated from the solid object is transferred along said another path different from the predetermined transferring path.
The term xe2x80x9cthe front edge of the packagexe2x80x9d refers to the edge at the head of the package while being forwarded along the predetermined transferring path by the paired rollers rotating in the above predetermined directions.
When using the above unwrapping apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, the rotation of the paired rollers is suspended when the front edge of the package is caught between the paired rollers. The paired rollers catching the front edge of the package are displaced after the slit is formed on the package. Then, the rotation of the paired rollers is restarted. As the solid object within the package is too thick and rigid to be held and transferred between the paired rollers, only the wrapping sheet is transferred along another path to form splits on the wrapping sheet at both ends of the slit. A portion of the wrapping sheet defined by the splits is gradually peeled off from the solid object as the paired rollers further transfer the wrapping sheet. Finally, the wrapping sheet will be separated from the solid object. That is to say, the above unwrapping apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention automatically unwraps the package to separate the solid object therein from the wrapping sheet. Further, as the package is cut in a slit-like form (i.e., in a form covering only a partial width of the package) to prevent the wrapping sheet from splitting in two, the removed wrapping sheet to be discarded can be handled easily. In addition, as the wrapping sheet separated from the solid object is pressed between the paired rollers, the bulk of the removed wrapping sheet is reduced to further facilitate handling thereof.
It is desirable that the above unwrapping apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention further comprises shift detecting means for recognizing that the solid object has been sufficiently squeezed back to the rear end of the unsealed space in the package; wherein the controlling means further controls operations of the paired rollers and the shift detecting means by rotating the paired rollers in the predetermined directions, letting the paired rollers forward the package along the predetermined transferring path until the shift detecting means recognizes that the solid object has been sufficiently squeezed back to the rear end of the unsealed space, rotating the paired rollers in the directions reverse to the predetermined directions to transfer back the package, and suspending rotation of the paired rollers when the front edge of the package is caught between the paired rollers.
In the above case where the unwrapping apparatus further comprises the shift detecting means, the solid object is squeezed back to the rear end of the unsealed space before the operation of the paired rollers is suspended. Accordingly, a relatively wide cut allowance can be obtained at the front edge of the package. Therefore, the unwrapping apparatus with the shift detecting means realizes a safer and easier cutting operation.
In addition, it is desirable that the above unwrapping apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention further comprises a squeezing member located in front of the paired rollers along the predetermined transferring path in such a manner that the squeezing member can be freely inserted into and retracted from the predetermined transferring path; wherein the controlling means further controls operations of the squeezing member by inserting the squeezing member into the predetermined transferring path before forwarding the package along the predetermined transferring path, and retracting the squeezing member from the predetermined transferring path when the shift detecting means recognizes that the solid object has been sufficiently squeezed back to the rear end of the unsealed space in the package. In this case, the dedicated squeezing member located in front of the paired rollers squeezes the solid object backward as the paired rollers forward the package along the predetermined transferring path. The solid object can be reliably squeezed back to the rear end of the unsealed space to form a wide cut allowance at the front edge of the package, even if the solid object is relatively thin, by using a suitably structured squeezing member.
Further, it is desirable that the above unwrapping apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention further comprises edge detecting means for detecting the front edge of the package located in front of the paired rollers along the predetermined transferring path; wherein the controlling means further controls operations of the paired rollers by causing the paired rollers to begin the rotation in the predetermined directions after the front edge of the package is detected by the edge detecting means. Such a configuration is effective in reducing power consumption, as the rotation of the paired rollers is activated after the edge detecting means detects the front edge of the package and is suspended during the cutting operation.
In addition, it is desirable that the above unwrapping apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention further comprises an object cartridge which is used for housing the solid object after being separated from the wrapping sheet and which is located behind the paired rollers along the predetermined transferring path. Such an object cartridge facilitates handling of the unwrapped solid object. The use of the object cartridge is especially effective when the solid object is a slide for chemical analysis as described above, as a plurality of unwrapped slides may be housed in a desired order in the object cartridge to be mounted directly on a biochemical analyzer.
Further, it is desirable that the above unwrapping apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention further comprises a disposal bin which is used for temporarily storing the wrapping sheet removed from the solid object and which is located below the end of said another path. Such a disposal bin facilitates handling of the removed wrapping sheet to be discarded.